Diving boards



Dec. 10, 1968 c. D. MATTINGLY DIVING BOARDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 20. 1964 INVENTOR 50 CHARLES D. MATTINGLY BY WM 4,

ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 196-8 c. D MATTINGLY 3,415,516

DIVING BOARDS Filed Feb. 20, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ffi- Ffi-

INVENTOR CHARLES D. MATTINGLY l vid ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,415,516 DIVING BOARDS Charles D. Mattingly, 729 E. Central, Wichita, Kans. 67202 Filed Feb. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 346,226 16 Claims. (Cl. 272-66) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in diving boards, particularly diving boards of a metallic construction, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a diving springboard which may be easily and inexpensively constructed of readily available material without the need of special tools for assembly and without any material waste, the board being light in weight, durable against structural failure, and capable of having a predetermined amount of stress inbuilt at any point throughout its length.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a diving springboard in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation thereof, partially broken away;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of one of the longitudinal members of the board;

FIGURE 5 is an end view of one of the supporting or reinforcing elements;

FIGURE 6 is an end view of a modified embodiment of the supporting or reinforcing elements;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary .detail showing the element of FIGURE 6 installed in one of the longitudinal board members, the latter being shown in cross-section;

FIGURE 8 is an end view of another modified embodiment of the supporting or reinforcing elements;

FIGURE 9 is an end View of the element of FIGURE 8partially formed;

FIGURE 10 is an end view of a modified embodiment of the longitudinal board members;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary detail showing the element form of FIGURE 6 in the longitudinal board member of FIGURE 10; and

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary detail, on an enlarged scale, showing grooves in the top surface of the longitudinal board members.

Referring now to the acompanying drawings in detail, the general reference numeral 15 in FIGURES 1 and 2 designates a diving springboard, supported in the usual manner by a conventional rear support bar 16 and a fulcrum bar 17, as will be apparent.

The board 15 is of a metallic construction and consists of a plurality of longitudinal members 18 disposed in juxtaposed, contacting relation. As is best shown in FIG- URE 4, each of the members 18 has a horizontal top flange 19 and a pair of vertically elongated ribs 20 which depend from the top flange. The member 18 preferably is a metallic extrusion, of aluminum for example, in which the ribs 20 and the top flange 19 are integrally formed. The side edges of the top flanges 19 of the several members 18 are in abutment as shown in FIGURES l and 3, and the upper surfaces of the flanges 19 constitute the deck of the diving board. It is preferred that these side edges of the. top flanges be provided with interlocking tongueand-groove means as indicated at 21, whereby to maintain the 'top flanges 19 of the several members 18 in coplanar relation. It is also preferred that the top surface of "ice the flanges 19 which forms the deck of the board be provided with longitudinally extending V-shaped grooves as indicated at 22 in FIGURE 12, so as to afford a nonslip surface and facilitate paint adhesion if or when the deck of the board is painted.

Referring again to FIGURE 4, it will be observed that the two ribs 20 are transversely spaced from each other as indicated at 23, and that they are also spaced inwardly from the side edges of the top flange 19, as indicated at 24. The underside of the top flange and the opposing side surfaces of the ribs are formed with concentrically concave seating surfaces 25, 26, respectively, and portions of the extruston between these surfaces are recessed as at 27 for a reduction in weight. The surfaces 25, 26 as well as the recesses 27, of course, extend throughout the length of the extrusion. The concentric arrangement of the seating surfaces 25, 26 in the space 23 be tween the two ribs 20 is shown by the dotted circle 28 in FIGURE 4. Similarly, the seating surfaces 25, 26 at the open, outer sides of the ribs 20 coact with corresponding surfaces of juxtaposed members 18 in a concentric arrangement, as indicated by the dotted. lines 29.

The board 15 also embodies in its construction a plurality of longitudinally extending tube like reinforcing or supporting elements 30 which, as shown in FIGURE 5, are of simple, closed tubular form. The outside diameter of these tubes corresponds to the circle diameter 28, 29 of the seating surfaces 25, 26, so that the elements 30 may be installed in the spaces 24 between the adjacent members 18 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, in supporting engagement with the seating surfaces 25, 26 existing in such spaces. The supporting elements 30 extend throughout the length of the board, it being noted that such elements are also provided at the outside edges of the board as indicated at 30', and that the reinforcing or supporting elements 30, 30' and the board members 18 are secured together, as for example, by transversely extending tie bolts 31, or the like. Also, the elements and board members may be secured together by adhesive applied to the seating surfaces 25, 26 in contact with the supporting elements, in which event the tie bolts 31 need not be employed.

In the construction thus far described, the reinforcing or supporting elements 30, 30' are located only in the spaces 24 which are directly under the side edges of the top flanges 19 of the members 18, while the spaces 23 between the ribs 20 of the members are unoccupied. However, lengths of the reinforcing or supporting elements 30 may also be installed in the spaces 23 as indicated at 30", so as to provide additional reinforcement at selected regions of the board and permit the board to have a predetermined amount of stress at any point along its length. As examplified in FIGURE 1, the elements 30" may be of various lengths and disposed at various locations along the length of the board, it being understood that the board structure is inherently resiliently flexible to provide the desired spring, and that use of the elements 30 at selected regions of the board decreases the resilient characteristics of such regions where resiliency is not desirable, as for example, the area of the fulcrum bar 17 but terminating substantially short of the free or outboard end thereof.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate a modified embodiment of the tube-like element 30 of FIGURE 5, the modification being designated by the numeral 32 and usable at the locations 30, 30' and 30", as already described. The element 32 is a metallic extrusion having a substantial tubular form, but with a broadened base portion 33 and a longitudinal split 34, bordered at its edges by beads 35, 36. The portion of the element 32 between the base 33 and the bead 36 is resiliently biased outwardly from a true circular form, so that when the element is installed in the board members 18, it is frictionally urged against the seating surfaces 25, 26, with the bead 36 projecting into one of the recesses 27, as shown in FIGURE 7. The base portion 33 of the element 32 is disposed between the bulbous portions 37 at the lower edges of the ribs 20 and in contacting engagement therewith, so that a firm assembly is attained.

FIGURE 8 illustrates another modified embodiment of the tube-like element 30 which, in this instance, is designated by the numeral 38. The same is also longitudinally split as at 39 and provided with beads 40, 41 and with a widened base portion 42 which is recessed as at 43 for reduction of weight. The element 38 is also in the form of a metallic extrusion, and FIGURE 9 shows the same before it is rolled, closed and tempered into the finished form of FIGURE 8. If desired, the portions of the element 38 at opposite sides of the split 39 may be resiliently biased outwardly, so that the element frictionally engages the seating surfaces 25, 26 of the members 18.

FIGURES 10 and 11 illustrate a modified embodiment of the longitudinal members 18, designated in this instance by the numeral 44. The same is in the form of a metallic extrusion having a top flange 19' and a pair of depending ribs 20', with seating surfaces and 26 and recesses 27', similar to the corresponding parts in the member 18. However, in place of being bulbous, the lower edge portions of the ribs 20' have an inverted T-shaped form and provide additional seating surfaces 45 with recesses 46 between the surfaces 45 and the surfaces 26', as illustrated.

The member 44 may be used with the supporting or reinforcing elements 30, or 32, or 38, as desired, in the same manner as the member 18.

While in the foregoing there have been described and shown the preferred embodiments of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure, and various modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A diving board comprising a plurality of parallel longitudinal members disposed in juxtaposed contacting relation, each of said longitudinal members having a horizontal top flange and a plurality of vertically elongated ribs depending from said top flange, the top flanges of said longitudinal members being in abutment with one another and constituting the deck of the diving board said ribs being laterally spaced apart and unconnected at their lower extremities, the undersides of each of said top flanges and sides of each of said ribs being provided with concave seating surfaces, a plurality of longitudinally extending tube-like supporting elements disposed in the spaces between said ribs in engagement with said seating surfaces, and means for securing said longitudinal members and said supporting elements together.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with interlocking means provided at abutting side edges of the top flanges of said longitudinal members for maintaining said top flanges in coplanar relation.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the top flanges of said longitudinal members are provided in their top surfaces with longitudinally extending grooves.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said longitudinal members comprises a metallic extrusion having said ribs formed integrally with the top flange thereof.

5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein portions of said top flanges and of said ribs between said seating surfaces are recessed for reduction of weight.

6. A diving board comprising a plurality of parallel longitudinal members disposed in juxtaposed contacting relation, each of said longitudinal members having a horizontal top flange and a plurality of vertically elongated ribs depending from said top flange, the top flanges of said longitudinal members being in abutment with one another and constituting the deck of the diving board, said ribs being laterally spaced apart and unconnected at their lower extremities, the undersides of said top flanges and opposing sides of said ribs being provided with concave seating surfaces, a plurality of longitudinally extending tube-like supporting elements disposed in the spaces between said ribs in engagement with said seating surfaces, and means for securing said longitudinal members and said supporting elements together, said diving board having a supported rear end, a free front end and an intermediate fulcrum area, and wherein some at least of said supporting elements extend through the fulcrum area from the supporting end but terminate substantially short of the free end of the diving board.

7. A diving board comprising a plurality of parallel longitudinal members disposed in juxtaposed contacting relation, each of said longitudinal members having a horizontal top flange and a plurality of vertically elongated ribs depending from said top flange, said ribs being spaced inwardly from side edges of the top flange and also being spaced from one another, the side edges of the top flanges of said longitudinal members being in abutment and constituting the deck of the diving board, the underside of said top flanges and opposing sides of said ribs being provided with concentrically concave seating surfaces, a plurality of longitudinally extending tube-like supporting elements disposed in the spaces between the ribs of adjacent longitudinal members in engagement with said seating surfaces, a longitudinally extending tube-like reinforcing element disposed in the space between the ribs of at least one of said longitudinal members in engagement with said seating surfaces, and means for securing said longitudinal members and said supporting elements together.

8. The device as defined in claim 7 together with interlocking means provided at said abutting side edges of the top flanges of said longitudinal members for maintaining said top flanges in coplanar relation.

9. The device as defined in claim 7 wherein said supporting elements are of a closed tubular form.

10. The device as defined in claim 7 wherein said tubelike supporting elements are longitudinally split and resiliently biased into frictional engagement with said seating surfaces.

11. The device as defined in claim 7 wherein said supporting elements are formed with widened base portions interfitted between said ribs.

12. A diving board comprising a plurality of parallel longitudinal members disposed in juxtaposed contacting relation, each of said longitudinal members having a horizontal top flange and a plurality of vertically elongated ribs depending from said top flange, the top flanges of said longitudinal members being in abutment with one another and constituting the deck of the diving board, said ribs being laterally spaced apart and unconnected at their lower extremities, the undersides of said top flanges and opposing sides of said ribs being provided with concave seating surfaces, a plurality of longitudinally extending tube-like supporting elements disposed in the spaces between said ribs in engagement with said seating surfaces, and means for securing said longitudinal members and said supporting elements together, the supporting elements being longitudinally split and resiliently biased into friction engagement with said seating surfaces.

13. A diving board as defined in claim 1 wherein said supporting elements are provided with base portions interfitted between said ribs.

14. A longitudinally continuous diving board having a supported rear or inboard end, a free front or outboard end and an intermediate fulcrum area, said diving board comprising a deck portion formed by the upper surfaces of a plurality of parallel longitudinal members disposed and secured together in juxtaposed contacting relation, and separate means secured beneath and in contact with the underside of said deck portion providing reinforcement for the diving board at a selected region, comprising a plurality of spaced parallel longitudinal supporting elements extending from adjacent the supported rear end of the board and including the fulcrum area but terminating substantially short of the free end of the diving board.

15. A diving board as defined in claim 14 wherein the supporting elements are of different lengths.

16. A diving board as defined in claim 14 wherein the respective supporting elements are disposed at various 15 locations along the length of the board.

6 References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 12/1949 Switzerland.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

A. W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

1. A DIVING BOARD COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS DISPOSED IN JUXTAPOSED CONTACTING RELATION, EACH OF SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS HAVING A HORIZONTAL TOP FLANGE AND A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY ELONGATED RIBS DEPENDING FROM SAID TOP FLANGE, THE TOP FLANGES OF SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS BEING IN ABUTMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND CONSTITUTING THE DECK OF THE DIVING BOARD SAID RIBS BEING LATERALLY SPACED APART AND UNCONNECTED AT THEIR LOWER EXTREMITIES, THE UNDERSIDES OF EACH OF SAID 